Equatorial Guinea Duo Issued Multi-Game Suspension for Referee Verbal Assault at Afcon.
The team captain will miss his nation's last group game at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The National Thunder captain Carlos Akapo and fellow squad member Josete Miranda have each been suspended for four matches for verbally attacking the match official after their narrow loss by their opponents at the 2025 Afcon.
The ruling was handed down by a disciplinary panel after it examined the referee's report from the Group E encounter on the weekend, a result that confirmed the side's elimination from the competition.
The official stated that the two players "continually directed insulting and obscene comments" towards him and his linesmen following the final whistle.
"Such comments were delivered in a context of intense anger stemming from the defeat, but nevertheless constitute a serious breach of the standards of respect and fair play as well as the disciplinary regulations," added the referee.
A portion of the individual bans for the two players have been suspended for a term of one calendar year.
Immediate Impact
The duo will be unavailable for their nation's final group match against Algeria on midweek.
In a related development, the nation's governing body has been penalized a sum of $10,000 after its technical staff and squad members engaged in "persistent and abusive protests" against calls by the refereeing team.
The official documentation indicated there was "a progressive deterioration in behaviour on the touchline" following an own goal by defender Saul Coco in the 74th minute.
Additional Disciplinary Action
Elsewhere, the tournament organizers have also penalized Stallions skipper Bertrand Traore the sum of $10,000 for "offensive remarks" uttered in a post-game interview following his team's defeat to Angola.
